Vintage Cooking Booklets and Pamphlets

**David Ross** · January 24, 2021

20 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I think the cover is very appealing! That's always been a favorite style of mine. I like that little header, "Fish aren't so dumb -- they eat very well" as a reason to think of seafood as healthful.

Sole Josephine gives me pause, however. Have you ever tried that recipe? I'm none too sure about the combination of fried (okay, breaded and sauteed) bananas and fish. Maybe I'm just short on imagination.

I saw that. No haven't tried it, and I think bananas to me wouldn't go with a delicate fish like sole. But I've seen recipes for bananas used in a Jamaican recipe with lobster. I've never made it but that sounds tasty.

Anna N · January 24, 2021

57 minutes ago, David Ross said:

I saw that. No haven't tried it, and I think bananas to me wouldn't go with a delicate fish like sole. But I've seen recipes for bananas used in a Jamaican recipe with lobster. I've never made it but that sounds tasty.

I could not quite get my head around fish and bananas no matter how hard I tried. But when I plug that into Google it was quite amazing how many recipes popped up. This one from PBS for example. Apparently fish and bananas are not quite as weird as I thought.

MokaPot · January 24, 2021

35 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I could not quite get my head around fish and bananas no matter how hard I tried. But when I plug that into Google it was quite amazing how many recipes popped up. This one from PBS for example. Apparently fish and bananas are not quite as weird as I thought.

Lots of Google hits for "fish and plantains" as well.

Duvel · January 24, 2021

41 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I could not quite get my head around fish and bananas no matter how hard I tried.

Please ... the are subtle hints in literature, are there not ?

Anna N · January 24, 2021

11 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Please ... the are subtle hints in literature, are there not ?

How do I tell you that I got through American literature without once reading JD Salinger!

Anna N · January 24, 2021

18 minutes ago, MokaPot said:

Lots of Google hits for "fish and plantains" as well.

Fish and plantains does not quite ring such a discordant note as fish and bananas to my ears or taste buds.

Duvel · January 24, 2021

2 minutes ago, Anna N said:

How do I tell you that I got through American literature without once reading JD Salinger!

How do I tell you that my patience for literature (outside of cookbooks) is so limited that Salinger’s short stories is the only book of classic American literature I ever read on my own account 😉

Kim Shook · January 24, 2021

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

I could not quite get my head around fish and bananas no matter how hard I tried. But when I plug that into Google it was quite amazing how many recipes popped up. This one from PBS for example. Apparently fish and bananas are not quite as weird as I thought.

I made Shrimp & Banana for Mr. Kim 8 years ago. I have not repeated that recipe and if he wants it again, he'll have to cook it himself. 🤢

**David Ross** · January 29, 2021

This is another booklet that my Father got during his work with the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture. It's from the Oregon Beef Council and interesting, their head office was in downtown Portland at the Imperial Hotel. That's where the cattle producers would have meetings and an annual event. And I suppose, plenty of cocktails. The booklet was published by the Beef Industry Council of Chicago, then distributed throughout the country to the local beef and cattle trade groups. No date but the illustrations look to be about mid 1960s. I gotta love the "Patio Entertaining," which is on the grass, and the guy in a red blazer.

JoNorvelleWalker · January 30, 2021

3 hours ago, David Ross said:

This is another booklet that my Father got during his work with the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture. It's from the Oregon Beef Council and interesting, their head office was in downtown Portland at the Imperial Hotel. That's where the cattle producers would have meetings and an annual event. And I suppose, plenty of cocktails. The booklet was published by the Beef Industry Council of Chicago, then distributed throughout the country to the local beef and cattle trade groups. No date but the illustrations look to be about mid 1960s. I gotta love the "Patio Entertaining," which is on the grass, and the guy in a red blazer.

The Zone Improvement Plan was introduced in 1963, so that sets a lower bound for the publication date. Then again there is that orange jello salad that drags it back to the 1950's.

I was pleased to see they call for use of a meat thermometer.

Katie Meadow · January 30, 2021

3 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

The Zone Improvement Plan was introduced in 1963, so that sets a lower bound for the publication date. Then again there is that orange jello salad that drags it back to the 1950's.

I was pleased to see they call for use of a meat thermometer.

Jello has legs.

**Smithy** · January 30, 2021

15 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

The Zone Improvement Plan was introduced in 1963, so that sets a lower bound for the publication date. Then again there is that orange jello salad that drags it back to the 1950's.

I was pleased to see they call for use of a meat thermometer.

Thank you for that. I've been trying to use the presence or absence of a ZIP code to establish publication dates, but didn't have the history (or the original of the acronym) right. Gotta love the librarians!

**Smithy** · January 30, 2021

16 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

The Zone Improvement Plan was introduced in 1963, so that sets a lower bound for the publication date. <snip>

.....

41 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Thank you for that. I've been trying to use the presence or absence of a ZIP code to establish publication dates, but didn't have the history (or the original of the acronym) right. Gotta love the librarians!

Here's why I've been wondering about the ZIP code. This pamphlet has been in my cousin's collection for who-knows-how-long: since it was first published. JoNorvelleWalker's information puts it at or after 1963, but I know that the Sunnyside Packing Company is no longer at that Fresno location. Their web site says they opened their Selma plant, its current location, in 1978. I think the pamphlet's styling puts it more in the 1960's.

My cousin lent the pamphlet to me a couple of times to make copies. Once I scanned it in its entirety; once I only shot the recipes, cover and overleaf. The snippets are all I can find right now.

The persimmon cookies were a Smith-clan staple during the holiday season. We never had a persimmon tree, but neighbors did. Mother got lots of persimmons from them, and rewarded them with her Christmas cookie trays that included persimmon cookies.

JoNorvelleWalker · January 30, 2021

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

Thank you for that. I've been trying to use the presence or absence of a ZIP code to establish publication dates, but didn't have the history (or the original of the acronym) right. Gotta love the librarians!

Thank wikipedia.

**David Ross** · January 30, 2021

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

.....

Here's why I've been wondering about the ZIP code. This pamphlet has been in my cousin's collection for who-knows-how-long: since it was first published. JoNorvelleWalker's information puts it at or after 1963, but I know that the Sunnyside Packing Company is no longer at that Fresno location. Their web site says they opened their Selma plant, its current location, in 1978. I think the pamphlet's styling puts it more in the 1960's.

My cousin lent the pamphlet to me a couple of times to make copies. Once I scanned it in its entirety; once I only shot the recipes, cover and overleaf. The snippets are all I can find right now.

The persimmon cookies were a Smith-clan staple during the holiday season. We never had a persimmon tree, but neighbors did. Mother got lots of persimmons from them, and rewarded them with her Christmas cookie trays that included persimmon cookies.

Wow this one is very interesting. I've never seen that many persimmon recipes in one cookbook.

heidih · January 30, 2021

1 hour ago, David Ross said:

Wow this one is very interesting. I've never seen that many persimmon recipes in one cookbook.

I think there was a time and geographic area where they rivaled zucchini recipes. The glut! The old is "new
thang.

**David Ross** · January 31, 2021

The Fleischmann Treasure Of Yeast Baking, 1962. Published by Standard Brands, New York, NY. Looking at the back cover I didn't realize so many brands were under this one umbrella. I do remember my Mother buying Fleischmann's margarine.

**Smithy** · January 31, 2021

6 minutes ago, David Ross said:

The Fleischmann Treasure Of Yeast Baking, 1962. Published by Standard Brands, New York, NY. Looking at the back cover I didn't realize so many brands were under this one umbrella. I do remember my Mother buying Fleischmann's margarine.

I'm surprised too. I had forgotte Fleischman's margarine! I don't think I ever knew that Planter's and Royal were under the Fleischman's umbrella. The mega-corporation model must be older than I thought.

Isn't is funny how the photography and food styling date pictures? I know we've commented on this before but it's still striking to me.

**David Ross** · January 31, 2021

1 minute ago, Smithy said:

I'm surprised too. I had forgotte Fleischman's margarine! I don't think I ever knew that Planter's and Royal were under the Fleischman's umbrella. The mega-corporation model must be older than I thought.

Isn't is funny how the photography and food styling date pictures? I know we've commented on this before but it's still striking to me.

I feel the same way about the photos, but even in the early 60s color printing was relatively new. Interesting I found this one yesterday as I'm working on entering a bread making contest and was looking for new ideas. There are dozens of recipes in here for breads I haven't heard of and with a few updates for today I think they will be delicious.

weinoo · January 31, 2021

11 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I'm surprised too. I had forgotte Fleischman's margarine! I don't think I ever knew that Planter's and Royal were under the Fleischman's umbrella. The mega-corporation model must be older than I thought.

Right?! Look at a bit of the history of Standard Brands... (slightly off-topic, don't tell Margaret 😉).

Standard Brands was formed in 1929 by J. P. Morgan with the merger of:^[1]

Fleischmann Company
Royal Baking Powder Company
E. W. Gillett Company of Canada (1929) - Toronto-based baking goods company (maker of Magic Baking Powder) founded by P. W. Gillett in 1852
Widlar Food Products Company
Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company

By 1940, it was the number-two brand of packaged goods after General Foods.^[2] By 1955 the company was listed as 75 in the Fortune 500.

Standard Brands made several acquisitions. It bought Planters in 1960, and the Curtiss Candy Company in 1964. In 1979, it acquired Inver House scotch.^[3]

The company merged with Nabisco in 1981 to form Nabisco Brands, Inc.^[4]

heidih · January 31, 2021

21 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I'm surprised too. I had forgotte Fleischman's margarine! I don't think I ever knew that Planter's and Royal were under the Fleischman's umbrella. The mega-corporation model must be older than I thought.

I think that was a time when we were conditioned with bigger is better. Almost as if the large corps were a trustworthy patriarch watching out for quality.

Fleischmann's margarine - the green box with the unsalted version was the prescribed fat when I transcribed the Euro pastry recipes. Occasionally hard to find versus the gold salted box. We hoarded it. The Fleischmann's yeast I grew up with which is not shown that I can see, was the foil wrapped cubes in the refrigerated section. Same yellow and red logo.

weinoo · January 31, 2021

These little booklets...

From the Angostura Wuppermann Corporation (pre zip code). Now fellas...

If you're smart, you'll tear out the little pamphlet in the back of the already little pamphlet, and see what happens...

When you give it to your wife...maybe you'll get lucky.

heidih · January 31, 2021

Oh @weinoo My groan probably scared the squirrels and I had to avert my eyes from the text.

**David Ross** · February 8, 2021

One of the older booklets in my collection, Home Helps-A Pure Food Cook Book. The NK Fairbank Company, 1910. The book was a promotion for Cottolene Shortening, which was well-known back then. It measures just 5 x 7 1/2, hardcover and about 100 pages or so. I'm not sure if I picked it up at a shop or sale, but if it came from family it would have been the Pink family on my Mother's side. You'll note that on the recipe for turkey, there aren't any temperatures or cooking times. In those days they would have been roasting in a wood or even coal oven.